Monday, 22 November 2010

home

rian, sleet, rain, wind, rain - temps hovering around freezing

But who cares??? We're home!!!

Arrived back mid afternoon yesterday. Had lunch on the way down with our friend Louise, in Granby. She's doing amazingly well. It's been just over 2 months now since Jacques died. We felt just awful about having to leave her so soon after - but we tried to keep in touch via email and phone calls - but it's not the same. Luckily she has other close friends who have been there for her every day - including our mutual friend Louise. (Yes - another one!)

Then visited Joan in the Cowansville hospital - she's also doing great after her second hip replacement.

Then....then...home! The place looked amazing. Cheryl must have slaved to get it so sparkling clean, and hardly any fire damage, or evidence of the biker parties they threw. (We kept getting very funny messages from Gary and cheryl describing debauched parties and catastrophic damages - at least, we presumed they were funny - happy to get in and have that confirmed)

Sunday morning Michael and I went off to Nick's in Montreal for breakfast. As I slid into the booth (not our regular one) I was confronted by a haggard looking old woman - then I realized it was a mirror! I was stunned. It looked as though I'd fallen from a great height into a bucket of wrinkles.

The bright lights didn't help, but unless I want to become nocturnal, this is pretty much the lighting of life. Broad daylight. Now I know why they call it 'broad' daylight. I looked like an old broad. It should be changed to old broad daylight.

Normally this wouldn't matter all that much, expect that I have a photo shoot tomorrow. Gary's coming over to take pictures to accompany an article in the Globe and Mail. I'm afraid I will look like a crease. Oh well. Happily most people don't care what writers look like. In fact, the more demented the better. So, this could be considered good news.

Was looking forward to a completely quiet day. We asked everyone to maybe just pretend we're not home until tomorrow. And it worked well until 8am - when I realized I'd forgotten to get milk. Then discovered the Beetle convertible had a dead battery. So by 8:30 I was driving what Michael calls the 'real' car into the village for milk and Michael was calling the CAA for the toy car.

By the end of the day (now) we've returned all the phone calls, opened all the mail (including an odd invoice - someone seems to think I ordered 56 copies of The Canadian Railway Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot....unless, Gary and Cheryl....

And we've done a load of laundry...and boosted the car, of course. Not exactly the quiet day we'd yearned for. But there's a huge difference between having to do something and choosing to do it. I'm sitting in the living room, in front of the fire, having opened the mail, read two newspaper and have Bach's concerto for violins playing.

The photo above shows Trudy with her 'bone', Michael, the gray day outside - and the beautiful flowers Cheryl and Gary left on the kitchen table. How wonderful it is to be home. But even better, how wonderful it is to be home with friends.

Oh, and had wonderful news about the novella, THE HANGMAN. It was written, as many of you know, for GoodReads, to help promote literacy for adults - so while the Gamache and Three Pines story is, I hope, complex - the style is clear and simple...for adults learning to read. Well, the publisher is in Alberta and she submitted for the Alberta Reader's Choice awards and it has been longlisted! Another GoodREads author, Gail Anderson-Dargatz's book THE STALKER, has also made the longlist! How exciting that books aimed at emerging readers can also be considered literature. Excellent!!!

And - I was just about to hit 'publish post' but Michael came in with the news that AudioFile Magazine in the US has named BURY YOUR DEAD one of the top 10 audio books of the Year!!! This is a huge honour for me - but mostly it's a reflection of the brilliance of Ralph Cosham, who is the reader.

Yes, welcome home! It must feel sooo good to be back among the familiar. I had to chuckle over the "haggard old woman" story; she's been known to stalk me as well. Always shocking me to the core. Thanks for sharing your always interesting life with us.

Good evening, Louise! You are probably listening to another Bach composition at this supper hour. After all you have done recently and in this (miserable) weather, that's the way to go to relax.

I am just about to finish reading Dead Cold that you signed for me on Friday. I am stunned how beautifully written it is, and also realized that it is very important to read your books in the order of creation to maximize the enjoyment. Thank you again.

For myself, I am thinking of watching tonight The Lion in Winter. Those who read your books will understand why.

Louise, Congrats on your big success with your latest novel. Noel and I saw it on the shelves of the famous Powell's Bookstore during a recent trip to Portland, OR. I'm sure the wintery weather has you and Michael thinking fondly of the days we had in St Lucia last February- I know it does for us! Hard to believe it's nearly been a year. News- we'll be in Montreal this year for our first anniversary, enroute to Carnaval in Quebec! Maybe we can meet you for coffee at one of your many fabulous cafes? Drop us a line; we'd love to hear from you!

Finished Bury Your Dead late last night,,,,I have to agree with another poster a few days ago...YOUR BEST YET!! WAS SO GOOD, I loved the intertwining of the stories and the ending---fabulous. Keep them coming.

Louise Penny's Books

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Being a member of the crime writing community is wonderful, and I feel it's so important to support each other - including the fabulous independent mystery bookstores who sell our books. If you'd like to buy my book from one of these stores, just click on their link below. You'll get terrific service, and be doing a service in return.